Te Whare Whakatere has become the heart of the community.

And while it has been beating since January, Ashburton’s new library and civic centre had a long-awaited official opening ceremony on Friday.

The delay in the official opening was down to the council’s hope of having Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attend, but as Rangitata MP James Meager said the calendars just never matched up.

Meager praised the council for producing a “fantastic asset for the community”.

“Libraries are centres of knowledge and learning, but they also provide important public facilities and access to resources for young and old.

“I would argue this one is now one of the best in the country.

“I have heard the building described as a living building and that is absolutely fitting.

“Every time I have had the pleasure of visiting it has been a hum of energy and spirit, and it has truly become the heart of the town and wider district.”

He also took the opportunity to state he hopes it wasn’t the last big opening he attends in the district this term, as he remains committed to seeing Ashburton’s second bridge progress to construction – so it’s completed before the time capsule is opened.

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown thanked all the people involved in the project described by architects as a living building and “since its opening, it has come to life as one ace for all of us to call our community living room”.

He gave an overview of the project’s timeline, starting in 2004 when space issues were recognised at the old council administration and accelerated in 2015 when earthquake risk assessments identified both the administration building and public library “were at the end of their lives”.

The site of the former county council building was selected in 2017, the detailed design was completed in 2020 and construction started during the Covid pandemic.

After a series of delays, the building opened in January.

“The district was hit in 2021 and 2022 by serious weather events, Covid restrictions and supply chain issues, but eventually the building would prevail.

“The completion of one journey sees us take on another, and that is fulfilling the expectations of this building as the civic and community heart of the district.”

After the ceremony guests were shown where the time capsule that, once photographs and news coverage of Friday’s official opening are added, will be sealed behind glass on the ground floor in the Havelock Street entranceway.

It is scheduled to be opened in 2078, which will acknowledge 200 years since the formation of both the Ashburton County in 1876 and Ashburton Borough in 1878.

Building sales offset construction costs

The final price tag of Te Whare Whakatere is still to be confirmed.

Chief executive Hamish Riach said the council was close to finalising the costs of construction.

“As soon as we have formal closure, we will let the community know.”

The project had started with a $51.6m budget which was increased to $56.7m in 2021 and then forecast to overun by up to 10% in 2023,  but it does have the benefit of $20m shovel-ready Government funding.

It will also be offset by the sale of buildings.

The old public library site was sold to CBR Properties Limited for $1.1 million in May.

Council has signed up Property Brokers agent Hamish Niles to sell the former council administration building which will be on the market soon, with a deadline sale end date of 8 November.

The council has also sold two of the four relocatable buildings it had up for tender, and now offering community groups a chance to buy the three older prefab classrooms at the former Polytech site for just $1 each – with a catch.

Mid Canterbury Rugby Union bought the former council chambers for $130,000 +GST, and Talley’s purchased the former staff tearooms for $30,000 +GST.

Riach said there were a range of tender prices submitted for the two buildings and after a full consideration and debate, the council selected the highest bids in both cases.

“Now we are selling the three older prefab classrooms to community groups for $1 each, though there are conditions that they must be able to relocate them.

“Two of the prefabs are joined so must be sold together, and one can be sold separately.”

The council will decide the successful bidders based on the proposed benefit to the community, with tenders closing on November 13 and the buildings needing to be removed, at the cost of the bidder,  by March 14, 2025.

That’s because as part of the long-term plan, the council plans to demolish or relocate the buildings on the old Polytech site and redevelop it as an unsealed gravel car park.

By Jonathan Leask